Canada edges Germany to get back into win column at world juniors

Dave Cameron and his team found themselves in another uncomfortable situation.

Following a surprising loss to Latvia two days earlier at the World Junior Hockey Championship, Canada was once again in a tight game, leading Germany by just one goal late in regulation on Sunday.

However, the host nation ultimately secured a victory, though it wasn’t without difficulty. Oliver Bonk, Caden Price, and Mathieu Cataford, who scored into an empty net, contributed to a shaky 3-0 win over Germany.

"We're snake-bitten," said Cameron, who was coaching at his third World Juniors. "We're getting chances. That's all you can do."

Carter George made 25 saves, recording his second consecutive shutout for Canada, which had lost to Latvia 3-2 in a shootout on Friday.

"I just want to go out there and do my part to get this team a win," said George, who attempted to shoot at the empty net, though the puck drifted wide. "We all pitch into the system."

German goaltender Nico Pertuch stopped 33 shots, while his team had opened the tournament with a 10-4 loss to the United States before falling 3-1 to Finland.

Canada, with a flawless 17-0 record and a dominant 107-26 scoreline against Germany in past World Junior encounters, went over 120 minutes without scoring a goal at 5-on-5 against two weaker opponents.

"It gets a little tense there when it was 1-0 with five minutes left," said defenceman Tanner Molendyk. "But I thought we handled it well."

"A little tighter than maybe we would have expected," added his defensive partner, Sam Dickinson.

Despite the lackluster performance, the win sets up an exciting New Year's Eve clash against the U.S. for first place in the pool, after the Americans lost 4-3 to Finland in overtime earlier Sunday.

Canada had suffered one of the worst losses in its history when Latvia, previously outscored 41-4 in four World Junior matchups, pulled off a shocking victory.

While Latvia earned full credit for their win, the Canadians appeared disorganized and conceded control of the ice for long periods, despite firing 57 shots on goal.

More of the same came in the first two periods on Sunday.

"It's a quick turnaround, maybe, from the Latvia loss," said Canadian forward Berkly Catton. "That hurt, but we've got to be ready."

Cameron made a few adjustments to his lineup, with one due to necessity and another for tactical reasons. Star defenceman Matthew Schaefer, a potential No. 1 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, was out of the tournament due to an upper-body injury sustained on Friday. Vancouver Canucks prospect Sawyer Mynio was inserted into the lineup, while forward Porter Martone was replaced by Carson Rehkopf.

In other Sunday games, Finland won 4-3 in overtime against the U.S., Sweden triumphed 7-5 over Switzerland, and Czechia beat Slovakia 4-2.